Arabians are one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. There
is archaeological evidence of horses that resemble modern Arabians
dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses from the
Middle East spread around the world by both war and trade, used to
improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and
good bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every
modern breed of riding horse.appeared in rock paintings and inscriptions in the Arabian
Peninsula as far back as 2,500 B.C
The first horses on the American mainland since the end of the
Ice Age arrived with the Spanish Conquistadors. Hernán Cortés
brought 16 horses of Andalusian, Barb, and Arabian ancestry with him
to Mexico in 1519. Others followed, such as Francisco Vásquez de
Coronado, who brought 250 horses of similar breeding to America in
1540. More horses followed with each new arrival of Conquistadors or
settlers. Many horses escaped, becoming the foundation stock of the
American Mustang.
Between 1683 and 1730 a
revolution in horse breeding occurred when three Arabian stallions
were imported to England. America was built by
utilizing horsepower and colonists were quick to realize the value
of Arabian bloodstock. Nathan Harrison of Virginia imported the
first Arabian stallion in 1725. This horse reportedly sired 300
foals from grade mares. The first breeder of consequence, however,
was A. Keene Richard. He journeyed into the desert in 1853 and 1856,
subsequently importing several stallions and two mares. However, his
breeding program was ruptured by the Civil War and nothing survived.

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